Arthur Miller

Chairman Dies of House Committee investigating Un-American activities

Monroe Miller Wedding

Arthur Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright and essayist known for his plays that dealt with moral and social issues. His most famous works include Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and A View from the Bridge. Miller's writing earned him worldwide recognition, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949 for Death of a Salesman.

Early Life

Arthur Asher Miller was born in Harlem, New York City, to a family of Polish-Jewish immigrants. His father owned a successful garment manufacturing business, but the family lost everything in the Great Depression. This experience greatly influenced Miller's future works, which often explored the personal and societal impacts of economic hardship.

Career

Miller attended the University of Michigan, where he studied journalism and began writing plays. His first Broadway success was All My Sons in 1947, which won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. This was followed by Death of a Salesman in 1949, a critical and commercial success that established Miller as a leading voice in American theater.

In the 1950s, Miller's career was nearly derailed by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). He was called to testify in 1956 because of his suspected communist sympathies, largely due to The Crucible, which drew parallels between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy-era witch hunts. Miller refused to name names and was convicted of contempt of Congress, a conviction that was later overturned.

Miller continued to write plays, essays, and books throughout his life. His later works include After the Fall (1964), a deeply personal play that explored his experiences and his failed marriage to Marilyn Monroe; The Price (1968), a reflection on family dynamics and the cost of past decisions; and The American Clock (1980), a series of vignettes about the Great Depression.

Personal Life

Miller was married three times. His second wife was actress Marilyn Monroe, whom he married in 1956. Their marriage was highly publicized and ended in divorce in 1961. Miller wrote the screenplay for The Misfits (1961), which was Monroe's last completed film.

Legacy

Arthur Miller is considered one of the greatest American playwrights of the 20th century. His works are celebrated for their exploration of the American dream, morality, and social responsibility. Miller's plays continue to be performed worldwide, and his contributions to theater and literature have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1984 and the National Medal of Arts in 1993.

Selected Works

• All My Sons (1947)
• Death of a Salesman (1949)
• The Crucible (1953)
• A View from the Bridge (1955)
• After the Fall (1964)
• The Price (1968)
• The American Clock (1980)

Death

Arthur Miller passed away on February 10, 2005, of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. He was 89 years old. His death marked the end of an era in American theater, but his works continue to live on, challenging and inspiring new generations.